Книга 35 [глава 42]

In which many things which have already been said are briefly repeated, and this enormous work comes to an end as man's most humble confession of infirmity. Because this is the last book of this work, and since the most difficult passages have already been passed, it is good to go through those that are less difficult with less attention and care. For, as if we had passed the mighty ocean, having already seen the shores and lowered the sails of our intention, with less strength than before, we still keep our way on the crest of the last wave of the storm. The storm of our knowledge has, so to speak, died down, but its force, now controlled, still carries us to our stop on the shore. After the Lord had revealed to His faithful servant how strong and cunning Leviathan His enemy was, and after He had carefully revealed his strength and skill, blessed Job answered this, saying: Verse 2. I know that You are able to do all things, and that no thought is hidden from You (Job 42:2) 3541. 2. After seeing his enormous power, he says: I know that You can do everything; but about his hidden tricks he adds: And not a single thought is hidden from You. Therefore he immediately reproaches the same Leviathan, saying: Verse 3. Who is he who darkens the Conduct, knowing nothing (Job.42:3) 3542? Leviathan is called the darkening Providence, knowing nothing, because, although he can easily hide through our weakness many of his arts, they can be revealed to us by the holy inspiration of our Protector. He is called one who darkens Providence, knowing nothing, because, although he does not reveal himself to those whom he tempts, he cannot avoid being revealed by our Protector, if it be His will. Having therefore heard of the power and skill of the devil, having heard also of the power of our Creator, who is so mighty and suppresses him, and graciously protects us, we pray you, O blessed Job, not to hide from us what you think about yourself. It follows from this: Therefore I have spoken foolishly about things that are beyond the measure of my knowledge (Job 42:3) 3543. 3. All human wisdom, the most powerful and sharpest, is madness in comparison with Divine wisdom. All human actions that are just and beautiful, compared to the justice and beauty of God, are neither just nor beautiful. Blessed Job would have thought that he said wisely what he said, if he had not heard the words of the highest wisdom. In comparison with which all our wisdom is madness. And the one who spoke wisely among people, having heard Divine sayings, understands that he is not wise. Therefore Abraham saw, when God spoke to him, that he was nothing but dust, saying: I say to my Lord, although I am dust and ashes (Gen. 18:27) 3544. Therefore Moses, although he was trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, as soon as he heard the Lord, discovered that he was a man of hesitant and slow speech, saying: I pray thee, Lord, I am not eloquent; This was the case both yesterday and the third day, when You began to speak to Your servant, I speak hard and am tongue-tied (Ex. 4:10) 3545. Therefore, Isaiah, after he saw the Lord sitting on a high throne, after he saw the Seraphim covering their face with two wings, after he heard that they were singing all the time Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts, he returned to himself and said: Woe is me! I'm dead! for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people also of unclean lips (Isa. 6:5). And he immediately added how he knew about this wickedness, and said: And I saw with my eyes the King, the Lord of Hosts (Is. 6:5) 3546. Hence Jeremiah, having heard the words of God, discovered that he had no words, saying: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God, behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am still young (Jer. 1:6) 3547. That is why Ezekiel speaks of the four living creatures: And a voice came from the vault that was over their heads; when they stopped, then they lowered their wings (Ezek. 1:25) 3548. What does the flight of animals signify if not the exaltation of evangelists and preachers? Or what wings do animals have, if not the reflections of saints that lift them to heaven? But when the voice spoke above the firmament, which was above their heads, they stopped and lowered their wings, because when they hear the voice of heavenly wisdom, they fall down, as if folding the wings of their flight. They understand that they are unable to contemplate the very sublimity of truth. To fold our wings according to the voice that comes from above means to know the power of God, to remove our own desires, and from contemplating the Creator, to think humbly about ourselves. When holy people, therefore, hear the words of God, the more they advance in contemplation, the more they despise what they are, and learn that they themselves are nothing. Therefore, blessed Job, responding to the words of God, and advancing in wisdom, discovered himself to be a fool, saying: Therefore I spoke foolishly about things that are beyond the measure of my knowledge. Now, he reproached himself the more the more he realized how much he had exceeded the measure of his knowledge in his assessment, because in the words of the Lord he discerned more than he could try to imagine in the very heights of his wisdom. It follows from this: Verse 4. Hear, and I will speak; I will ask you, and you explain to Me (Job 42:4) 3549. 4. Hearing for us means adapting our ear, which is in one place, to the sound that comes from another. But with God, for whom there is nothing external, hearing Him correctly is the quenching of our thirst that rises to Him. For us to speak with God, Who knows the hearts of even those who are silent, is not what we think in words or say with our throats, but the desire for Him with an irrepressible desire. And because a person asks a question in order to be able to know what he does not know, for a person to ask a question to God is to admit in His eyes that he does not know. And for God to answer is to teach with His secret inspiration the one who humbly admitted his ignorance. That is why Blessed Job says: Listen, and I will speak. It was as if he were saying: Graciously understand my desires, so that, while Thy mercy receives and supports them, they may rise even more to Thee. For whenever good desires are supported, they will multiply. Therefore it is written elsewhere: I called so that You might hear me (Ps. 16:6) 3550. He does not say that I called and You heard me: but, I called so that You would hear me. For the one who was heard and his wishes were successful, exclaimed: I will ask You, and You will explain to me. It is as if he were saying: From contemplating Your knowledge I become aware of my ignorance. Answer me, therefore, when I ask You, that is, teach me, the one who humbly confesses his own stupidity. To do this, he himself asks God, feeling thirsty after he has humbled himself, and strives for God to respond to his inspiration, which is announced in the following words. For he announced that he would ask a question, and yet he adds nothing in the form of the question. For, thinking only humbly of himself and having graciously received favor from God, he immediately adds: Verse 5. I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see You (Job 42:5) 3551. 5. With these words, he undoubtedly directly states that, to the extent that “seeing” is superior to “hearing,” so much is he, as he is now, having gone through suffering, different from what he was before. And because he saw more clearly the light of truth with his inner vision, he more clearly discerned and saw the darkness of his humanity. It also follows from this: Verse 6. Therefore I reproach myself (Job 42:6) 3552. 6. The less a person sees himself, the less he grieves; and the more he discerns the light of greater grace, the more reprehensible he thinks of himself. For, everything that he is rises from within, and at the same time a person sees the standard that he contemplates. And because human weakness still hinders him, he feels that he differs greatly from the standard, and every thing in him is burdensome, and is far from similar to the standard. Thanks to this, blessed Job sees how he has progressed since his suffering, and with great self-flagellation he says: Therefore I reproach myself. But since there is no awareness of reproach if the groans of repentance do not immediately follow, it is rightly added: And I repent in dust and ashes (Job.42:6). 7. To repent in dust and ashes, after contemplating the Supreme Essence, means to recognize oneself as nothing but dust and ashes. Therefore, the Lord in the Gospel speaks to the rejected cities: If the powers that were demonstrated in you had been demonstrated in Tire and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth 3553 and ashes (Matthew 11:21) 3554. For “sackcloth” denotes the roughness and hardness of sin, and “ash” denotes the dust of the dead. And therefore, both of them, as usual, are used in repentance so that, thanks to the pricks of sackcloth, we know what we have done by committing a sin, and in the dust of ashes we can understand what we have become for judgment. Let the stings of sin be known in sackcloth, let the punishment for sins that end in a sentence of death be known in ashes. For the indignant flesh rises after sin, therefore let a man humble in thorny sackcloth all that he has done in pride, and let him see in the ashes how far he has gone because of sin. But sackcloth can also designate the very remorse of conscience in grief, which arises from memory and repentance. For blessed Job to say: I reproach myself is to admit that he is wounded, so to speak, by a kind of sackcloth, when he is irritated in his mind by sharp pricks of remorse. But he repents; because he carefully observes what should be done by the will of a fair court after his first sin, saying: I repent in dust and ashes. As if he had directly said, I do not exalt myself because of any gift from my Creator, because, I came from the dust, and I know that I will return to the dust by the sentence of death that I received. 8. Having heard all the words of Job, having also learned all the answers of his friends, let us turn our gaze to the verdict of the inner Judge, and say to Him: Behold, Lord, we have heard both sides who argued before Your eyes, and we know that Job in this dispute relies on his virtuous actions, and that his friends support the glory of Your justice against him. And You know what our minds think about these things. For us, the statements of those who, as we know, contribute to Thy protection cannot be wrong. But, behold, the parties are present and await the verdict; therefore, Lord, according to Your invisible decision, bring Your most exacting judgment, and show us who is really right in this dispute. It follows from this: Verse 7. And it came to pass after the Lord had spoken those words to Job, that the Lord said unto Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath burneth against thee and against thy two friends, because ye have not spoken of Me so truly as My servant Job (Job 42:7) 3555. 9 . Lord, the verdict of Your judgment shows how much our blindness diverges from the light of Your righteousness. Behold, we know that by Thy judgment the blessed Job was victorious, whom we believed had sinned before Thee by his words. Those who believe that they surpassed the merits of blessed Job, speaking in Your name, are doomed in Thy judgment. Since we have learned Divine reasoning what to think about each side, let us now look a little more closely at the words of this sentence. How is it that blessed Job was accused above, if in comparison with his righteousness, the words of his friends are not correct before the Lord? Does not this decision further confirm the words spoken to the ancient enemy: have you paid your attention to My servant Job? for there is no one like him on earth ( Job 1:8 ). But why was the one whom he praised to the enemy rebuked? convicted, but still preferred to the friends who spoke to him? This is so because a holy man surpassed all men by virtue of his merits, and yet, because he was a man, he could not possibly be blameless in the eyes of God. For even in a holy man, while he wanders through this world in this temporary state, the supremacy of the Divine court sees that there is something to judge in him, although in comparison with the rest of people, there is even now something to praise him for. Blessed Job therefore believed that he was scourged for his guilt, and not as a reward; he believed that he was being scourged for his sins, and not so that his reward would be increased. And he is accused of wrongly imagining the intentions of the scourging, and yet is preferred to his friends who opposed him. From this it is clearly evident how great his merit is, since he is preferred in the Divine court even to those very persons who defended the Divine judgment. But we learned at the beginning of this book (Book 3 § 15) that Satan said about him to the Lord: but stretch out Your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, will he bless You (Job 2:5)? These were allowed to touch the blessed Job with losses, bereavements, wounds, insulting words, because He who praised him was confident that the holy man would never fall into the sin of cursing, as the devil claimed. As we also said above (Preface chapter 3), whoever believes that blessed Job sinned in his words when he was scourged clearly believes that the Lord has failed in His confidence. And although the Lord, in a conversation with the devil, speaking about the good qualities of a holy man, did not promise his perseverance, which still had to be tested, He would not have put forward his righteousness, allowing him to be tempted, if He had foreseen that he would not be able to remain righteous under temptation. Since the devil was then allowed by God to tempt him, if anyone believes that he has succumbed to temptation, he accuses the One who allowed it to be ignorant. 10. Let us then honestly approve of the blessed Job in his statements, so that we do not sinfully accuse God of His providence. And although, as far as human judgment is concerned, his friends have said many things better in their words than he himself, Truth releases another rule from the secret place, saying: You have not spoken so truly of Me as My servant Job. He says that the behavior of many often displeases Him, even if outwardly it is considered right among people. Therefore it was said in praise of the righteous spouses: They were both righteous before God (Luke 1:6). There is no safe endorsement among humans. For, in the opinion of some person, someone’s rightness is often approved supposedly before God, but Almighty God does not know the one who approved it, as if by Himself. Therefore the psalmist prays warily, saying: Direct my path in Thy sight (Ps. 5:9) 3556. Undoubtedly, because often in the eyes of people the path that is turned away from the path of truth is considered correct. And this is observed when it is said: you have not spoken about Me as truly as My servant Job. Speaking about him, specifically pointing out and emphasizing the word slave, He indicates that everything that was said by him in His defense, he said not with arrogant pride, but with true humility. But because God is just and merciful, He punishes his friends strictly in His justice, and mercifully instructs them. What follows: Verse 8. Take for you seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job and offer them for yourselves as a burnt offering. And My servant Job will pray for you; I will accept his face, so that this foolishness will not be imputed to you (Job.42:8) 3557. 11. The just and merciful God does not leave their mistakes without reproof, but also does not leave their guilt without atonement. For since He is our internal physician, He first reveals the wickedness of our wound, and then points out the means for recovery. But we have often said (chap. 6) that the friends of blessed Job represent heretics who insult God while they are trying to defend Him; for they, in their words, rebel against the truth, imagining that they defend it, but at the same time assert it falsely. Therefore, Almighty God often includes them in the body of the Holy Church, through the knowledge of the truth; such transformations, which are often mercifully brought about, are well illustrated by the pardon received by Job's friends. 12. It should also be specially noted that they were ordered to offer the sacrifice of their conversion to the Lord, not of themselves, but through Job. Heretics, undoubtedly, when they return from their errors, cannot appease the wrath of God by offering a sacrifice of themselves, unless they are converted into the Orthodox Church, which is here designated by the blessed Job; thus they can obtain their salvation through her prayers, the prayers of her whose faith they have impugned by their false statements. For He says: My servant Job will pray for you; I will accept his face so that this stupidity is not imputed to you. It is as if He openly said to the heretics: I do not accept your sacrifices, I do not hear the words of your prayers, except through her intercession, whose words of confession about Me I truly acknowledge. And you must indeed offer your bulls and sheep, and offer the sacrifices of your conversion, but ask Me for your salvation through the Orthodox Church, which I love. I will list to her the sins that you committed against Me so that she can heal you, the one who suffered from your illness. 13. For him she is the only one through whom God willingly accepts sacrifice, the only one who intercedes with confidence for those who have erred. Therefore, the Lord commanded regarding the sacrifice of the lamb, saying: It must be eaten in one house; do not take the meat out of the house and do not break its bones (Ex. 12:46) 3558. The Lamb is eaten in one house, since the true Sacrifice of the Redeemer to the slaughter is only in one Orthodox Church. And the Divine law orders his flesh not to be carried away, because it is forbidden to give holy things to dogs (Matthew 7:6) 3559. It is she alone in whom good work bears fruit, and those who labor in the vineyard receive a reward (Matthew 20:10) 3560. It is she alone who guards those within her with strong bonds of mercy. Therefore, the water of the flood actually lifted the ark into the air, but destroyed all those who were visible from the ark. It is she alone in whom we truly contemplate the heavenly mysteries. That is why the Lord says to Moses: This is My place, and you must stand on the rock (Exodus 33:21) 3561 and after a little: I will remove My hand, and you will see Me from behind (Exodus 33:23) 3562. Since the truth shines from the Orthodox Church alone, the Lord says that there is only a place with Him from which He can be seen. Moses is on the stone to contemplate God, because if one does not have the firmness of faith, he does not discern the divine presence. The Lord says about firmness: On this rock I will build My Church (Matthew 16:18) 3563. What does this passage say to Job’s friends: go to Job, if not, “stand on the stone”? and in the place of his face I will accept, so that this stupidity is not imputed to you, what is said, if not, will you see Me from behind? that is, you will understand the secrets of this Incarnation that will happen. 14. But heretics, because they disdain to stand on a rock, do not contemplate God, and He passes by, because, being without the Church, they cannot really discern the mystery of His incarnation. For, as we have said before, "bulls" signify the neck of pride (prev. chapter 8), and "rams" signify the leadership which is exercised by heretics when they persuade men like the flocks they lead astray. For about proud heretics, who corrupt the minds of the weak by their wicked convictions, they say: a herd of bulls among the bulls of the people (Ps. 67:31) 3564. And because they lead people like the herds that follow them, they are sometimes called “rams.” For the rams actually lead and lead the flock. Where does Jeremiah say, denouncing: Your princes are like rams (Lam. 1:6) 3565. Because heretics, when they return to the Church, abandon the arrogance of pride, and no longer lead multitudes to destruction, like the flocks that follow them, the friends of blessed Job are ordered to offer bulls and rams. For to offer bulls and rams as a sacrifice is to sacrifice proud leadership with the humility of transformation, so that they, who previously tried to take the leading role in training, may tame the neck of pride, and learn to follow obedience. And this pride of theirs is also justly atoned for by seven sacrifices, because the heretics, having returned to the Church, receive through the sacrifice of humility the gifts of the Spirit of sevenfold grace, so that they, who lived their lives in vain because of their old habit of pride, may be formed anew by the newness of grace. 15. But the number seven is considered perfect by the wise of this world because of some of its own qualities, because it is the sum of the first even and the first odd number. The first odd number is three, and the first even number is four. From these two numbers that make up seven, by multiplying these same parts we rise to the number twelve. Whether we multiply three by four, or four by three, we arrive at this number. But we, because we delight in the preaching of the true gifts from above, look upon these matters, which are fixed on the sublimity of knowledge, and doubtless, holding it with an unshakable faith, that those whom the Spirit has filled sevenfold with grace have become perfect; for this gives them not only the knowledge of the Trinity, but also the four virtues, that is, prudence, moderation, courage and justice. And these gifts increase in this way, since the four virtues received through the knowledge of the Trinity are multiplied, and by fulfilling the four virtues we will even achieve contemplation of the Trinity. And so the number seven is perfect, but in a very different way; because by multiplying the terms it rises to the number twelve, when a person multiplies deeds by faith, and again faith by deeds (i.e. four by three and three by four). The holy apostles also, who were to be filled with the Spirit of sevenfold grace, were chosen in number twelve. They were sent to the four corners of the world to reveal the Trinity, which is God. Thus they were chosen in number twelve, so that even from the nature of the number itself, it would be clear that they preach the three highest things, through four other lower things. 16. Therefore, or perhaps for another reason, in Holy Scripture, the number seven sometimes denotes the secure remainder of eternity, sometimes the whole of present time, but sometimes the whole body of the Holy Church. The number seven describes the perfection of eternity, when the seventh day is called sanctified for the rest of the Lord (Gen. 2:3) 3566. And the evening, it is said, does not belong to him, because the rest of eternal bliss is not limited. Therefore, also when giving the Law, the seventh day was commanded to be left as a day of rest, so that eternal rest could be imparted through it (Ex. 20:8-11) 3567. Therefore, the number seven multiplied seven times, with the addition of one, is fifty, and is called the holy rest of the jubilee, so that eternal bliss can be seen in it (Lev. 25:10) 3568. Therefore it is said that the Lord ate His last feast with seven disciples (John 21:2) 3569, because they, who are now being perfected in Him, are filled with eternal life by Him. 17. Again, the number “seven” refers to this entire temporary state. Therefore, the entire time of this life is divided into periods of seven days. Hence, in the image of the Holy Church, which at all times crosses this world with its preaching - the Ark of the Lord - within seven days, with the sound of trumpets, they overthrew the walls of Jericho (Jeremiah 6:12-20). That is why the prophet says: Seven times a day I glorify You (Ps. 119:164) 3570. And, signifying that he has said this for all time, he says: Praise be to Him forever from my mouth (Ps. 33:2) 3571. However, that all this life is signified by the number "seven" is more clearly shown when the number "eight" is mentioned after it. For when another number following seven is called, it is shown that this temporary state comes to an end, and closes in eternity. Therefore Solomon advises, saying: Give parts up to seven, and also up to eight (Eccl. 11:2) 3572. With the number seven he expressed the present time, which passes in periods of seven days. But he called the number “eight” eternal life, which the Lord revealed to us through His resurrection. For He grew up in truth on the Resurrection Day, which, as the day following the seventh, that is, the Sabbath, is the eighth. But he said well: “Give parts up to seven, and also up to eight; because you do not know what trouble will be on earth” (Eccl. 11:2). As if he had clearly said: While making do with temporary things, do not forget to desire those that are eternal. For you must think about the future with the help of good deeds, for you do not know what the verdict of the future court will be. Therefore the Church ascended fifteen steps, that we might learn that by seven and eight our worldly deeds may be carefully revalued, and the eternal Dwelling may be presented to those who have prudently sought it. Therefore, also, increasing the number by 10 times, the prophet uttered one and a half hundred Psalms. Since the number "seven" signifies earthly things, and the number "eight" eternal things, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the one hundred and twenty believers sitting in the upper room. Fifteen is made up of seven and eight, and if we add up all the numbers from one to fifteen we get the number one hundred and twenty. From this outpouring of the Holy Spirit they actually learned how to pass through temporary things, and eagerly seek after those that are eternal. 18. Again, the number “seven” denotes the entire body of the Holy Church. Therefore, John in the Apocalypse writes about seven churches: (Rev. 1:20) 3573, and what else, if not the Universal Church, did he want to designate by them? And in order to indicate that this universal Church is full of the Spirit of sevenfold grace, Elisha is described as breathing seven times on the dead child (2 Kings 4:35) 3574. For the Lord, coming to lifeless people, opens His mouth seven times, because He gives her in His mercy the gifts of the Spirit of sevenfold grace. Because the entire body of the Holy Church is described by the number “seven,” let the friends of blessed Job come to him and offer everything as a burnt offering, as commanded by God. But let them guard with all vigilance the secrets of the number seven; and follow the order, namely, that those who live outside must first unite in the common body of the Holy Church, and then finally ask for mercy for the guilt of their former pride. Let them offer sacrifices for their guilt seven times, for they do not receive cleansing from their guilt unless by the Spirit of sevenfold grace they are united in this universal world after they have been called. Therefore it is said: Take for you seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job and offer them for yourself as a burnt offering. And My servant Job will pray for you; I will accept his face so that this stupidity is not imputed to you. As if this had been clearly stated to the heretics on their return; Unite in the Universal Church in humility of repentance, and through her prayers you will receive from Me the pardon that you are not worthy of: so that when through her you learn to be truly wise, you will first of all erase the stupidity of your wisdom. Verse 8. You have not spoken as truly about Me as My servant Job. 19. The Lord used these words a little earlier, and yet He repeats and adds the same words again. What is this except that, by repeating again, He confirms the sentence that has already been pronounced? And, in order that the justification of the blessed Job and the untruth of his friends might be more clearly displayed, the same praise is repeated twice in the same words, so that by repeated repetition it will be shown how firmly it is fixed. For it is known that the king of Egypt saw in two visions the terrible times of the approaching famine under the figure of cows and ears of grain, and he heard from the voice of the holy prophet: you saw a second time a dream relating to the same thing, and this is a sign of truth (Gen. 41:32) 3575, from this it is clear that everything that is repeated in the word of God is more strongly confirmed. But since we have heard what the court has ruled, let us also hear what those who are convicted are doing. What follows: Verse 9. And Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shebaite and Zophar the Naamite went and did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord took the face of Job (Job.42:9) 3576. 20. We no longer say anything about the interpretation of these names, because we remember that we discussed this in detail at the beginning of this work. But it must be noted that the order of the pardon they received is once again carefully announced, for the Lord said that He did not accept their faces, but the face of the blessed Job. But since he who strives to intercede for others receives more in this love, he rightfully participates: Verse 10. The Lord also accepted Job's repentance when he prayed for his friends (Job 42:10) 3577. 21. We first heard of his friends before we learned of the circumstances mentioned; and they did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord took the face of Job. But it is immediately observed that the Lord accepted Job’s repentance when he prayed for his friends; by this it is clearly revealed to us that the penitent deserved to be heard more quickly in his own name, the more earnestly he interceded for his neighbors. For this makes his prayers more powerful in his name if he also prays in the name of others. A sacrifice in prayer is more readily accepted in the eyes of a merciful court if it is seasoned with love for one’s neighbor. And a person then really strengthens it if he offers it even for his enemies. Therefore, Truth, our Teacher says: Pray for those who persecute and slander you (Luke 6:28) 3578. From here He says again: And when you stand in prayer, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your sins (Mark 11:25) 3579. And how much the one who stood up for others received for himself is immediately noted when he partakes: The Lord returned everything that Job had, twice as much (Job.42:10) 3580. 22. He received twice as much as he had lost, because through the mercy of the Judge, the help of consolations far exceeds the loss from our temptations. And temptation torments us less than reward consoles us; and he who, having felt the weight of the blow, has thought that he had suffered a hard trial, may learn from the reward which he has received, that what he has endured was easy. That is why it is also said about the suffering of Judah: For a little time I left you, but with great mercy I will receive you (Is. 54:7). But sometimes the measure of consolation corresponds to the weight of sorrows. Therefore it is written in another place: because of the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, your consolation made my soul glad (Ps. 93:19) 3581. For he who exclaims that he was rejoiced because of the multitude of his sorrows indicates that he was consoled in the same measure as he suffered. But the reader is not fully learned unless the order of the reward is told. First comes intemperance, which is corrected by repentance, then forgiveness through repentance, and then the reward of forgiveness. But since he who was slain by the permission of Divine Providence also suffered, according to the words of his friends, when he is consoled by the gifts of Divine mercy, he deserves to receive the desired human love; for one who has received sorrow, adversity and pain from wounds on all sides, the joys of consolation are given from all sides. Therefore it is added: Verse 11. Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all his former acquaintances came to him, and ate bread with him in his house, and bowed their heads over him (Job 42:11) 3582. 23. What does eating bread signify, if not mercy, and what does bowing the head signify, if not admiration? But it is well communicated: And they consoled him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. To console someone who has been slain in grief is to rejoice with him for his pardon after he has been slain. The more a person rejoices at the restoration of his neighbor's health, the more he demonstrates that he was seriously affected by his illness. And they each gave him one sheep and one earring of gold (Job.42:11) 3583. 24. Although all these things were indeed given in accordance with the story, we are still forced to reflect on the gifts themselves that were offered, and return to the mystery of the allegory. We can't help but hear this enumerative manner that they offered a sheep, one, and a gold earring, one. And if it is possible to explain this simply by the style of narration for the sheep, which was alone, it is very surprising why there was only one earring. And what is the connection between a sheep and an earring or an earring and a sheep? We are forced, therefore, by virtue of such a subtle definiteness of the gifts themselves, to study the secrets of the allegory, as well as some past statements that we have superficially studied in accordance with the chronology of history. Christ and the Church, that is, the head and the body, and we have already said more than once that blessed Job sometimes symbolizes the head, sometimes the body. Keeping in mind the historical truth of the chronology of events, let's understand what it means: the Lord returned everything that Job had, twice, in case Job symbolizes the Church. For, although the Holy Church now loses many by the stroke of temptation, at the end of this world she receives all that belongs to her, when, having received the Gentiles in full number, all Judea, which was lost, agrees to flee to her faith (Rom. 11:25-26) 3584. Therefore, the Truth also says in the Gospel: Elijah will come and arrange all things (Matthew 17:11) 3585. For now the Church has lost the Israelites whom her preaching has passed by, but in due time, according to Elijah's preaching, she will gather as much as she must, and she will receive more fully what she has lost. 25. Of course, the Holy Church rejoices at each of us, the blessing of both our soul and the incorruption of our body, and therefore receives doubly gifts at the end of the world. This is what is said about the chosen ones of the prophet: In their land they will rule twice (Isa. 61:7) 3586. Therefore, the Apostle John speaks of the saints who sought the end of the world: And white robes were given to each of them, and it was said to them that they should rest for a little while, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who would be killed like them, would complete the number (Rev. 6:11). For, as we have said much earlier, the Saints received one garment before the resurrection, because they enjoy the happiness of their souls only; but at the end of the world, each of them will have doubly, because along with the blessed dispensation, they will also have the glory of the flesh. 26. But these words, which are included, rather announce the conversion of the Jewish people at the end of this world. Therefore it is added: Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all his former acquaintances came to him, and ate bread with him in his house. For then all His brothers and sisters come to Christ, when as many as should be found among the Jewish people are converted. He took His flesh from people. His brothers and sisters, therefore, must come to Him, those people who are united to Him by kinship, or those who want to be strong like brothers, or weak like sisters, flock to Him with piety through the knowledge of faith. Then they feast in His house at the most crowded festival, when they no longer think of Him as a mere man, and, mindful of their relationship, rejoice together in His Divinity. Then they eat bread in His house, when they leave aside the observance of the letter of the law, and are nourished with the grain of the sacraments in the Holy Church. But he is well connected: Everyone who knew him before. For they knew Him before, Whom they despised in His Passion, as if He were unknown to them. For no one who fully knew the Law recognized that Christ was born. Although even King Herod, alarmed by the arrival of the Magi, tried to find priests and horsemen who knew about the birth of Christ; and to whom they immediately answered: In Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2:5) 3587. Therefore they knew Him before, those who supposedly did not know Him, when they despised Him at the moment of His suffering. And how their former knowledge and their subsequent ignorance are well and briefly indicated by the twilight of Isaac. For when he blessed Jacob, he showed what then happened by not knowing who was standing before him (Gen. 28:1) 3588. Thus in truth there was a people of Israel who had received the secrets of prophecy, but there were still eyes that were dim in contemplation because they did not see Him when He was present, about whom so many things were foreseen at the time when they were looking for His coming. And they were not able to see Him when they stood in His presence, although the power of Whose coming had long been announced. But, here! they come at the end of the world, and recognize Him whom they knew before. Here! eat bread in His house, because they feed on the grain of sacred doctrine in the Holy Church, and shake off all the insensibility of their former torpor. Therefore he communes: and they bowed their heads over him. What is meant by head if not the power of the mind? As the psalmist said: You have anointed my head with oil (Ps. 22:5) 3589. As if it was clearly said: you poured a charitable anointing on my gaze, which had shrunk in its thoughts. The head therefore bows when the mind, stricken with the fear of truth, awakens from its insensibility. Let the relatives then come to the feast, and, shaking off their drowsiness, let them bow their heads; that is, may those who are connected with our Redeemer in the flesh enjoy at last the refreshment of the word of faith, and lose the firmness of their former insensibility. Therefore it is well said by Habakkuk: His feet stood, and the earth shook violently (Hab.3:6) 3590. The earth certainly shakes when the Lord stands, for when He impresses upon our hearts the feet of His fear, every earthly thought in us trembles. At this point, therefore, to bow the head means to get rid of the mobility of the mind and go along the steps of the ladder to the knowledge of faith. 27. But since the Holy Church is now suffering from the alienation of the Jews, and then will, after their conversion, be in joy, it rightfully joins: And they consoled him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. They, in particular, console Christ, console the Church, those who have repented for the mistakes of their former unbelief, and have renounced the depravity of life, for which they were against the teachers of the truth. Is it not a great sorrow to preach unsuccessfully to hard hearts, to endure the labor of presenting the truth, but not to find the fruit of our labor in the transformation of our hearers? But the subsequent development of the listeners is, on the other hand, a great consolation for the preachers. The student's conversion is a consolation to his teacher. And it must be noted that they will not console him when he suffers troubles, but that they come to console him after troubles; undoubtedly because the Jews, despising the preaching of faith at the time of His suffering, disdainfully did not believe that He was God, the One whom they saw as a simple man in His death. Therefore the Lord says to the psalmist: I sought one to mourn with Me, and there was not one; I sought one to calm me, and I did not find (Ps. 69:20) 3591. For He found no one to console Him in His Passion, because in His contempt for death He outlived even His fiercest enemies, for whom He came to death. After His scourging, His neighbors come to console Him; because the Lord is now also suffering, but in the last times all the Israelites flock to faith, having heard the preaching of Elijah, and will return to the protection of Him from whom they fled; and then it is noted that there will be a magnificent feast for the people. At that time, Job was revealed, as it was, in health, after his scourging, to show that to those who are transformed in faith, the Lord, through the assurance of faith, gives life, after His suffering and resurrection, immortality in heaven. In this passage Job was seen to symbolize the power of His Majesty, and they finally regard Him as God as He is, and those who had previously resisted Him come to faith. Therefore the Jews will gather together at the end of the world, and offer, like Job in health, their vows of offering to the Redeemer of mankind in the power of His Divinity. Where this also comes from: And they gave him each one one sheep and one earring of gold. What does a “sheep” mean if not innocence, and what does an “earring” mean if not obedience? The sheep expresses the innocence of the mind, and the earring expresses the ear, adorned with the grace of humility. 28. But since the virtue of obedience is mentioned, let us consider it with a little more attention and care in order to indicate how great its merit is. Obedience is the only virtue that helps to sow other virtues, and keeps them safe once they are planted. Therefore, the first man received a commandment, which if he had adhered to, and if he had wanted to obediently present himself, he would have achieved eternal bliss without difficulty. Therefore Samuel says: Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to obey than the fat of rams; for disobedience is the same sin as witchcraft, and rebellion is the same as idolatry (1 Samuel 15:22–23) 3592. Obedience is rightly preferred to sacrifices, because in sacrifice the flesh of another is offered, and in obedience our will is offered; man therefore quenches his thirst for God more quickly the more he suppresses before his eyes the pride of his will, and sacrifices himself under the sword of the commandment. And on the other hand, disobedience is said to be the same sin as magic, so that one can indicate how great the virtue of obedience is. Praise is better shown in its opposite. For if disobedience is the same sin as magic, disobedience is the same guilt as idolatry, obedience is the only virtue founding faith, without which a person is condemned to be an unbeliever, although he seems to be a believer. Therefore Solomon said, speaking of obedience: An obedient man is a speaker of victories (Proverbs 21:28) 3593. The obedient person in truth is said to be victorious because when we humbly submit to the voice of another, we overcome ourselves in our heart. Therefore, the Truth says in the Gospel: He who comes to Me will not be cast out, because I came down from heaven to do not My will, but the will of the Father who sent Me (John 6:37–38) 3594. Why? If He did His will, would He really reject those who come to Him? And who can not know that the will of the Son is not different from the will of the Father? But the first man came out of the joy of Paradise because he wanted to do his own will; therefore the second man comes to redeem the people, when He shows that He will do the will of the Father, and not His will, He teaches us obedience. Therefore, when He does not His own will, but what is from the Father, He does not abandon (or reject) those who come to Him, because when He brings us under the power of obedience by His example, He opens to us the way of salvation. Therefore again He says: I can do nothing of Myself; As I hear, so I judge (John 5:30) 3595. We are commanded to observe obedience even to death. But if He judges as He hears, He submits also at the time when He comes as Judge. In order that obedience may be with us to the end of our lives, even when it is exhausting, our Redeemer indicates that He carries it out even when He comes as Judge. What is surprising is that a sinful person should subject himself to obedience in a short period of real life, if even the mediator between God and people did not refuse him, and He rewarded him for obedience. 29. But it should be known that sin should never be fulfilled because of obedience, but sometimes a good work that is performed must be abandoned through obedience. In Paradise, on the tree that God commanded man not to touch, there was no evil. But in order that man, who was rightly created, might improve through the merit of obedience, it was right that even that which was good should be forbidden to him; in order that his conduct might lead to the strengthening of virtue, he had to modestly show that he was the subject of his Creator, and not condescend to what was good. But it should be noted that it was said: from every tree of the garden you can eat, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you must not eat from it (Gen. 2:16-17) 3596. It is necessary that the One who prohibits one good thing for the development of obedience should allow many others, so that the person who obeys does not perish completely from hunger, as if all good things were completely closed to him. Therefore, the Lord gave all the other trees of Paradise for food, when He forbade them one so that He could restrain His creation, the development of which He desired, from one, and therefore He gave greater freedom for everything else. 31. But we will show this meaning of virtue more clearly if we mention the actions of two people of the heavenly country. Moses, while feeding the sheep in the desert, was called by the Lord to speak to him in the fire with the help of an angel, in order to take the lead in delivering all the Israelites from captivity. But since he was modest in his mind, he trembled at once at the glory of what was happening to him, and immediately resorted to his weakness as a defense, saying: O Lord! I am not a man of speech, and I was like that both yesterday and the day before, and when You began to speak to Your servant: I speak hard and am tongue-tied (Ex. 4:10). And, putting himself aside, he asks for another and says: Lord! send another whom you can send (Ex. 4:13): behold, he speaks to the Creator, and proves that he cannot take upon himself the power of such great responsibility, he claims that he has no tongue for it. Paul was also informed by God that he must go to Jerusalem, as he himself says in the letter to the Galatians: Then, after fourteen years, I went again to Jerusalem, taking Barnabas and Titus with me; but I went by revelation ( Gal. 2:1-2 ) 3597 . And when he found the prophet Agabus on his way, he heard from him that adversity awaited him in Jerusalem. For it is written that this is Agabus: he took Paul's belt and, having bound his hands and feet, said: Thus says the Holy Spirit: The man whose belt is this will be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles (Acts 21:11). Paul immediately answered: I not only want to be a prisoner, but I am ready to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 21:13) and I do not look at anything and do not value my life (Acts 20:24). Rising then to Jerusalem, at the command of revelation, he knows his sufferings, and yet he willingly seeks them, he is afraid of the things he has heard, but still he goes towards them more eagerly. Therefore, Moses has nothing of his own when he comes to prosperity, because he strives in his prayers not to be established over the people of Israel. And Paul, even of his own free will, goes to suffering, because he receives knowledge of the troubles that threaten him, but still in his devotion of spirit he is ready for these previously known sufferings. He wished, although God commanded him, to renounce the glory of power; the other, when God has prepared heaviness and adversity, willingly prepares for severe suffering. We are taught by the tenacious strength of both these leaders moving forward that if we truly seek the reward of obedience, we must strive to prosper in this world only on command, and that we must overcome adversity with devotion. 32. But it should be noted that in this place a sheep is offered with an earring, and an earring with a sheep; undoubtedly, because the ornament of obedience is always associated with the innocence of the mind, as the Lord testifies, who says: My sheep obey my voice, and I know them; and they follow Me (John 10:27). No one, therefore, offered blessed Job an earring without a sheep, or a sheep without an earring; for, in all honesty, he who does not submit to his Redeemer cannot be innocent. But since this very obedience should be supported not by slavish fear, but with the love of love, and not from the fear of punishment, but from the love of justice, everyone who came to the holiday, as it is said, offered a “golden” earring as a gift. In this obedience, which is displayed, mercy must shine so as to surpass all virtues, like gold other metals. 33. But because there can be neither innocence nor true obedience in the diversity of groups of heretics, let those who come to the knowledge of faith offer a sheep, but only one; and an earring, but only one. That is, let like-minded people come so as to observe innocence and obedience in the unity of the Holy Church. That which is “one” cannot be divided into numbers and numbers, because also the “one” we are talking about is not a number. Let them therefore offer a sheep, but only one; Yes, they bring an earring, but only one. That is, coming to the Holy Church with innocence and obedience, let them offer such a mind that the schisms of sects cannot divide. 34. Let us open the eyes of faith and see this feast of the Holy Church to which the people of Israel are invited. That feast to which the mighty Elijah invites guests. Neighbors and friends come to him with gifts for Him whom they previously despised when He was subjected to disasters. For, as the day of judgment approaches, either according to the words of His predecessors, or by certain signs that will take place, indeed the power of the approaching Lord will shine forth fully before them. And at that time they will hasten to prevent His wrath and hasten the time of their own conversion. But when converted they come with gifts, because by offering their virtuous actions they show respect to Him, whom they had previously ridiculed in His Passion. Undoubtedly, by this their sacrifice completes what has already been partially done well, but which must be supplemented in order to become good in its entirety; The daughters of Tyre worship Him with gifts (Ps. 44:13) 3598. For the daughters of Tyre will more fully worship Him with gifts when the minds of the Israelites, which are now overcome by the desires of this world, are given in offering of confession to Him Whom they proudly rejected before. At those very times when the Antichrist approaches, the behavior of believers will seem, to a certain extent, less virtuous, and in confrontation with this accursed man, a powerful fear will restrain even the strong heart. But, despite this, not only believers, strengthened by the preaching of Elijah, will remain in the inviolability of the Holy Church, but, as we have already said, many unbelievers will also be transformed to the knowledge of faith. So the remnants of the people of Israel, who had previously rejected her, will rush en masse into the bosom of their Mother’s Church with the most pious devotion. Therefore it is added: Verse 12. But the Lord blessed Job's last days more than the first (Job.42:12) 3599. 35. We believe that all these things happened historically, but we also believe that they have a mystical meaning. The last days of Job are more blessed than the previous ones, because as far as the recognition of the people of Israel is concerned, when the end of the modern world begins to press with its approach, the Lord consoles the pain of the Holy Church with the variety of souls gathered. For when she has them in abundance, enriched, the more clearly it will become clear that the temporary state of real life is hastening to the end. The Psalmist saw the preachers of the Holy Church enriched with the blessing of the last times when he said: increased in fruitful old age, they will proclaim (Ps. 1:15-16) 3600. They are in fact increased in a fruitful old age, because as their life approaches old age, their strength is strengthened and the gains of their virtues increase with the increase of their age. And they proclaim well, because when they preach heavenly truths, they endure adversity with greater steadfastness, and they will return mercy to their souls more abundantly according to their endurance. It follows from this: Verse 13, 14. And there were given to him fourteen thousand flocks, six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys; and he had seven sons and three daughters (Job 42:12–13) 3601. 36. The fact that he had seven thousand small cattle, three thousand camels, five hundred pairs of oxen and five hundred donkeys before his scourging judgment is indicated to us by the preface of the same story. Those things that were lost through his scourging were now restored twofold. But exactly as many children were returned as he had lost. He had seven sons and three daughters. And now it is described that he received seven sons and three daughters in order to show that those who were destroyed are alive. For, it is said: the Lord added everything that Job had twice, but at the same time He returned exactly as many children as he had lost. Yet He gave him twice as many children, returning ten in the flesh, and leaving the ten that were lost in the hidden abode of souls. But if anyone, as an intellectual being, wants to put aside the straw of history and feed on the grain of secrets, in our opinion it is necessary to learn something else. To do this, we need to understand that these animals represent the universal body of believers. Consequently, what the psalmist said to the Father about the Son: He put everything under his feet, the sheep and all the cows, and moreover, the flocks of the plain (Ps. 6:7) 3602. The Prophet says the same thing, seeing us simple people inhabiting the Holy Church: Your animals will live in it (Ps. 68:10) 3603. 37. What do we mean by “sheep” if not innocent ones, what by “camels” if not those who are superior in evil deeds to others due to their excessive vices; what is under “a yoke of oxen,” if not the Israelites yoked to the Law; What are “donkeys” if not the simple minds of the pagans? The psalmist testifies that the innocent are designated by the name “sheep” when he says: But we are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Ps. 94:7) 3604. Those who neglect to preserve their innocence do not feed on spiritual pasture. 38. The name “camel” is sometimes expressed in the Holy Scriptures as the Lord, but sometimes as the pride of the pagans with a swollen growth on top. For the camel stoops of its own accord to take on its load, and this rightly signifies the grace of our Redeemer, who, hearing the burden of our infirmity, descended of its own accord from the height of His strength. That is why He also says in the Gospel: I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it up again, and no man takes it from Me (John 10:18) 3605. Therefore He also says again: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 19:24) 3606. What is meant by the name "rich" if not anyone with a haughty countenance, and what is meant by "camel" if not His condescension? The camel passes through the eye of the needle as our Redeemer passes through the narrow straits of His passion to the sufferings of death. And these passions were like a needle, because they wounded His body with pain. But a camel passes through the eye of a needle more easily than a rich man enters the Kingdom of Heaven, because if He does not first take upon Himself the burdens of our weakness, and does not show the opening of humility through His passions, our arrogant stubbornness will never bend itself to His humility. Again, "camel" denotes the pagan world, crooked and full of sins; as it is said by Moses that: Rebekah looked and saw Isaac, and descended from the camel. And she covered herself with a veil in shame (Gen. 24:64–65) 3607. Whom does Isaac signify by going out into the field when the day was already over, if not Him, Who, coming in this last period of the world, as at the end of the day, went out, as it were, into the field? Because although He is invisible, He appeared to be visible in this world. And Rebekah saw him while still sitting on the camel, because the Church comes to Gentiles when they are still leaning on their sins, and driven not by spiritual, but by animal emotions, they begin to listen. But she immediately descended from the camel, because they had renounced the sins in which they had formerly proudly boasted, and they are careful enough to cover themselves with a veil, because, contemplating the Lord, they blush at the weakness of their own behavior; and she, who rode the camel, then modestly covers herself. Therefore, it is said in the voice of the Apostle, speaking about former pride, as if about Rebekah who came down from the camel and covered herself with a veil: What fruit did you have then? Such things as now you yourselves are ashamed of (Rom.6:21) 3608. 39. But “oxen” is sometimes called lustful madness, sometimes the industrious strength of the preachers, sometimes the humility of the Israelites. The name ox denotes the madness of lust, for example Solomon. For when he first mentioned the debauchery of a tempting woman, he added: He will immediately follow her, like an ox to the slaughter (Prov. 7:22) 3609. Again, that the work of preachers is called the word “ox,” the words of the Law testify, which say: Do not muzzle an ox when he threshes (Deut. 25:4). As if it were clearly stated: Do not withhold the words of preachers from receiving their reward (1 Cor. 9:9; 1 Tim. 5:18) 3610. Again, that the people of Israel are characterized by an “ox”, the prophet asserts, who says, announcing the coming of the Redeemer: The ox knows its owner, and the ass its master’s manger (Isa. 1:3) 3611. Truly, the “ox” signifies the people of Israel, as yoked to the yoke of the Law, and the “donkey” signifies the people of the pagans, greedy and stubborn. 40. Also, the words donkeys and donkeys sometimes denote the depravity of lust, sometimes the meekness of simplicity, but sometimes, as we said earlier, the stupidity of the pagans. The debauchery of the lustful is expressed in the name "donkeys", for example, when it is clearly stated through the saying of the prophet: Whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys (Ezek. 23:20) 3612. Again, the meekness of simplicity is characterized by an ass, when our Redeemer was going to Jerusalem, and, as it is said, sat on an ass. Jerusalem means peace 3613 (Matthew 21:5) 3614. What does it mean that our Lord sits on a donkey and guides it to Jerusalem, if not that He possesses simple minds, rules them, and brings them by His sacred presence to a vision of the world? Again, the fact that the word “donkeys” denotes the stupidity of the pagans is evidenced by the prophet, who says: Blessed are you who sow by all the waters and send there the ox and the ass as footstool (Is. 32:20) 3615. To sow on all waters means to preach fruitful words of life to all people. But “sending” the ox and the donkey to the foot of the earth means binding the paths of the people of Israel and the pagans with ribbons of heavenly commandments. 41. Keeping in mind the historical truth of what is written, we rightfully believe that under the name of blessed Job, the people of the Holy Church are designated by all these animals. This is done so that all things, the order of which is described by the Holy Spirit, and which are miraculously ordered, will explain to us what has happened and declare what is coming. Let us recognize that the “sheep” are the faithful and innocent people of Judah who formerly ate from the pasture of the Law. Let's admit that “camels” are simple-minded pagans who come to faith, who previously, under blasphemous rituals, deformed themselves, and from filth, that is, from vices, were very ugly. And therefore, as we have before said, the Holy Scriptures tend to repeat their statements, the Israelites, who were yoked, as they were, to the yoke of the Law, may again be understood by "oxen." But, as has already been said, by donkeys one can also understand those pagans who foolishly worshiped stones, as was the case, and, with their backs bent, without hunting, served the idols with stubbornness and cruelty. The Holy Church, therefore, oppressed at the beginning and pursued by countless temptations, having lost both the people of Israel and many pagans (that is, those whom she could not convert), receives a double reward in the end, because in her a multitude of believers is raised from every nation. By “a pair of oxen” - (i.e. harnessed by oxen) one can also understand preachers. Therefore, when the Lord sent them to preach, He describes that He sent them two by two (Luke 10:1) 3616. This is done either because there are two commandments of charity, or because a community cannot exist between fewer than two, and the holy preachers could therefore learn from their experience how they should love the concord of fellowship. The donkey, as we said earlier, can mean simple minds. But the Holy Church receives oxen and donkeys in double numbers; therefore the holy preachers, who, oppressed with fear at the moment of its temptation, were silent, and the minds of the simple, who, oppressed with horror, were afraid to acknowledge its truth, now manifest their voices with greater strength in confessing the truth, the weaker they were when they were afraid. 42. We have briefly stated these points describing the Holy Church. And we remind you that how all this serves the Head of this Holy Church, we described in detail at the beginning of this work. So, whoever seeks to reflect more fully on this question, let him deign to read the second book of this work. And now we will propose to discuss the number of animals: why exactly a thousand pairs of oxen, a thousand donkeys, six thousand camels, and fourteen thousand small livestock are mentioned; It can be briefly stated that in secular sciences the number thousand is considered ideal because it is the cube of the number ten. Ten times ten is a hundred, and although it is a square, it is a flat figure. In order for it to rise in height and become three-dimensional, one hundred is again multiplied by ten to make a thousand. Six is ​​a perfect number because it is made up of the sum of the first digits, which are one, two and three, and they add up to make six. But as we transcend all this knowledge, by progressing through the sublimity of Holy Scripture, we will there find the reason why the numbers six, seven, ten, and a thousand are ideal. The number six is ​​ideal in Scripture because at the beginning of the world God completed on the sixth day the work He began on the first. The number seven is ideal because every good deed is accomplished by the seven virtues through the Spirit, so that both faith and actions may be perfected in each other at the same time. Ten is ideal because the Law includes the Ten Commandments, and as Truth says, the workers in the vineyard are rewarded with a denarius 3617 (Matthew 20:2) 3618. For in ten three and seven are united. But man, who consists of soul and body, consists of seven qualities. For he flourishes in three spiritual and four bodily qualities. For in the love of God he flourishes in three qualities spiritually, when he is told by the Law: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy mind, and with all thy heart, and with all thy will (Matthew 22:37) 3619. But it consists of four bodily qualities, because it consists of hot and cold, wet and dry matter. Therefore the man who is composed of the seven qualities is said to be rewarded with a denarius, because in this attainment of the heavenly country our seven qualities are added to the Eternal Trinity, in order that man may enjoy the contemplation of the Trinity, and, as a reward for his labors, live as one who has received the precious denarius. And, of course, because there are seven virtues in which we labor in this life, and when the contemplation of the Trinity is given to us as a reward, the life of those who labored is rewarded with a denarius. But everyone who approaches the ideal receives a denarius even in this life, when he adds faith, hope and charity 3620 to the same seven virtues. The number thousand is also considered ideal in Scripture because universality is indicated by its name. Therefore it is written: The Word which He commanded in a thousand generations (Ps. 104:8) 3621. Since the world cannot be extended to only one hundred generations, what else can “a thousand generations” mean if not the whole series of generations? Blessed Job therefore received fourteen thousand small livestock. For since in the Holy Church the perfection of virtues extends to both sexes, the number seven is doubled for this purpose. Six thousand camels, because those who were previously cut off from her by the uncleanness of their sins receive in her the fullness of their labor. He also received a thousand pairs of oxen and a thousand donkeys, because it raises the Israelites and the Gentiles, after falling in temptations, to the height of perfection. He received seven sons and three daughters, because in the minds of those whom the Church should give birth to with seven virtues, she adds faith, hope and charity in order to complete their perfection and enjoy their offspring the more, the more virtues they receive. But since we have briefly examined these points, let us now turn to studying the names of his daughters. What follows: Verse 14. And he called the name of the one Dies, the name of the second Casia, the name of the second Cornustibii (Job 42:14) 3622. 43. Since these names are derived from virtues, the translator has not taken proper care to convey their sound in Arabic, but translates them in order to convey their meaning more clearly in Latin. For who can not know that Dies and Casia are Latin words? But in Cornustibii, (though it is not Corn us, but Cornus (i.e., horn), and the musicians' trumpets are called not tibium but tibia (trumpets)), I suppose that he chose not to keep half a word in the Latin language, in order to indicate things as they are, and in order to preserve the originality of the language from which he translated. Or because he strengthens one word by composing it from two (horn and trumpet), he was free to use both words, which are translated into Latin by one part of speech, and choose the gender at his discretion. What is the reason why the first daughter of Job is said to have been called Dies 3623, the second Casia 3624, and the third Cornustibii, besides to signify the whole history of the human race, which is chosen by the goodness of its Creator, and by the grace of the Redeemer, is designated by these names? Man, as he was created, shone as brightly as day (Dies), because his Creator covered him with the luminous splendor of innate innocence. But when he fell of his own free will into the darkness of sin, because he had departed from the light of truth, he hid himself, as it were, in the night of error; as it is said elsewhere: followed the shadow (Ps. 39:6) 3625. But because the bounty of His goodness knows no bounds, our Creator, even in the darkness of our iniquity, has hereafter received us by a mighty atonement from our error, those whom He originally created for righteousness. And because he wished, after his fall, to return to the power of the original creation, He supported him against the hidden attacks of the temptations of his enemy by the manifold virtues of His gifts. And these virtues of those who receive them are undoubtedly felt like the aroma of incense by other people. Therefore Paul said: We are the aroma of Christ to God (2 Cor. 2:15) 3626. Therefore, the Holy Church, having heard a kind of fragrant sweets in her chosen ones, says in the Song of Songs: While the king was at his table, my people gave off their incense (Song. 1:11) 3627. It is as if he had directly said: While the king is resting in the heavenly land, the life of the elect is regaled with the wonderful scents of virtues, so that he who still does not see Him for Whom he seeks may become more ardent in his desire. The people give off a fragrance while the king rests, because when the Lord rests in His blessedness, the virtue of the saints in the Church gives us joys of great sweetness. Because the human race shone brightly in its creation through innocence, and subsequently, when it was extinguished, began to exude the scent of incense through the accomplishment of good deeds, the first daughter was rightly called Dies, and the second by the name of Casia. But it is well called CASIA, the one that spreads everywhere with such a strong aroma of sublime life. For man, at his very beginning, in which he was created righteous, such great virtues were not needed as are required at the present time. Because if he wanted to remain as he was created, he would be able to overcome his enemy without difficulty. But the enemy, through the consent of the person, forced him to move away from the hidden places, and he is now expelled from his native land by the conqueror, from whom, when he first attacked, he could have fought off without difficulty. 44. Many qualities are now necessary that were not necessary in heaven. Now we need the virtues of patience, painstaking work in learning, punishment of the body, perseverance in prayer, confession of mistakes, a flood of tears; none of them were actually needed by man when he was first created, because by his very creation he already enjoyed the blessing of salvation. The bitter cup is needed now so that the sick person can be restored to health by removing the disease. But a healthy person will never take what is needed to get well, he will make every effort to avoid illness. Therefore we must now be more zealous when we have not retained the health we had and strive to regain what we have lost. And because all these efforts for our restoration are supported by great help in the Holy Church, the name of the second daughter rightly “smells of cassia (cinnamon).” The first daughter existed as "Day" through the virtues of her creation, and the second "Cassia" exists through the fragrance of the power of the grace of redemption. Therefore it is said through the prophet about the Redeemer and His coming: Myrrh and ambergris and cassia come from Your garments, from the steps of ivory, and the daughters of kings glorify You in Your honor (Ps. 44:9) 3628. What can the names myrrh, amber, and cassia signify, except the sweetness of the virtues? What is expressed by “ivory steps” other than the ascent of wisdom that shines with great power? Our Redeemer, therefore, when He comes, uses myrrh, ambergris and cassia in His clothing, because He scatters ahead His chosen ones, who by His grace exude the fragrance of the myrrh of virtues. And in them this fragrance is born from the steps of ivory, because their virtues arise not from feigned pretense, but from the ascent of true and firm deeds. And he communes well: and the daughters of kings glorify You in Your honor. Holy souls, who were led by the ancient fathers to the knowledge of the truth, praise their Redeemer, glorify Him, because they do not claim their own merit for all that good they have done. But since the human race in the third state, even when receiving new flesh in the resurrection, eternally glorifies God, the third daughter is called Cornustibii 3629. What does “Cornustibii” express if not the chants of those who rejoice? This is what is truly being fulfilled, as the Prophet said: Sing to the Lord a new song (Ps. 149:1) 3630. It is there that everything will truly be, where the song of praise to God will be sung not from faith, but from the contemplation of His Person. There our Creator will receive true glorification from us, He Who created the human race "Dies", then made it "CASIA" by redemption and then "Cornustibii" by taking it to Himself. For we were "light of day" when we were created, and are now sweet-smelling "cinnamon" through the Atonement, and must at last become "horn and trumpets" when we come to the rejoicing of eternal praise. But before the bride comes to the wedding room, she must throw off all unclean life, be ready to love the Groom, and adorn herself with the beauty of virtues. To do this, she learns to submit herself to the judgment of the inner judge, and in her innermost desires she overcomes the dirty habits of the carnal nature. Therefore, it is also well added regarding the daughters of blessed Job: Verse 15. And there were not in all the earth such beautiful women as the daughters of Job (Job.42:15) 3631. 45. The souls of the Chosen surpass in the beauty of their attire the entire human race, which lives according to the customs of people on earth: and the more patient they are with external sorrows, the more faithfully they adorn themselves. Therefore, the psalmist said about the Holy Church, which is adorned with the beauty of the Chosen: The King will desire your beauty (Ps. 45:12) 3632, about which a little is added after: All the glory of the daughter of the King is within (Ps. 45:14). For if she seeks glory outside, she will not have the beauty within that the king desires. And although many shine with the beauty of virtues, and surpass the virtues of others in the perfection of their conduct, yet some are unable to achieve higher things because they are not aware of their own weakness, although they rest in its soft bosom. But even these, who have the strength to avoid sins, although they do not improve in higher things, God graciously accepts and allows them to Himself to the extent that they deserve. Therefore it also follows: And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers (Job 42:15) 3633. 46. ​​For their well-deserved ideality they are called beautiful; but they also receive some imperfection, as if they were weak, called “inheritance among their brothers.” According to the practice of life in former times, women were not recognized as heirs among men, because the weight of the Law chose the strong and despised the weak, and favored those who were strict and strong rather than those who were merciful. But with the coming of our gracious Redeemer, everyone who recognizes his weakness in repentance is included in the receipt of the heavenly inheritance. Our Father has given women the same right of inheritance as men, because against the background of the strong and perfect, He recognizes the weak and infirm as their right to a share of the heavenly inheritance. Therefore, the Truth Itself says in the Gospel: In My Father’s house are many mansions (John 14:2). For in truth there are many mansions with the Father, because in this equal blessed life everyone receives his place in accordance with his merit. But he does not feel any loss from this discrepancy, since what he has received is quite enough for him. Sisters will therefore come to the inheritance together with their brothers, since the weak are admitted there along with the strong; so that if someone is not strong through imperfection, he may through humility not be expelled from his happy inheritance. And Paul also teaches us that these abodes are distributed to each according to his merits when he says: There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another of the stars; and star differs from star in glory (1 Cor. 15:41). What follows: Verse 16 and last. But Job lived after these disasters a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, to the fourth generation, and he died an old man and full of days (Job 42:16–17) 3634. 47. A man will not be described in Scripture as being "full of days" unless he is one whose conduct is praised in the same Scripture. For he has empty days who, even if he lives a very long time, wastes the time of his life in vanity. They say “full of days” only about those whose days have not passed by and have not come to naught, but as a result of the daily work of good deeds, even after they have passed, were appreciated by the Judge. 48. But there are still some who would like to interpret these things as is customary for the Holy Church (whose wishes we must instantly submit to, and many times rejoice in their desire for spiritual understanding). Therefore, we multiply fourteen by ten, and we get the number one hundred and forty. The life of the Holy Church is rightly considered to consist of ten and four, because by preserving the Testaments, living both in accordance with the ten commandments of the Law and in accordance with the four books of the Gospel, it carries out high perfection. Given that the Apostle Paul wrote fifteen epistles (This refers to the Epistle to the Laodiceans 3635 (Col. 4:16) 3636, which is believed by some to be the Epistle to the Ephesians. This territory included Laodocia. Some fathers quote the Epistle to the Ephesians as to the Laodacians. There are several such texts, one of which belongs to the Marcionites, but rejected by St. Epiphanius) 3637, still the Holy Church does not preserve more than fourteen so that the famous teacher could indicate by the very number of his messages that he revealed secrets simultaneously in both the Law and the Gospel. But it is well said about blessed Job that he “lived” after his scourging, because the Holy Church, too, was first struck by disasters, and then strengthened by improving life. And she also sees her sons, and the sons of her sons even in the fourth generation, because in this life, which passes divided into four seasons, she sees every day the children born into it from the lips of the preachers, from year to year until the end of the world. And this will not contradict the truth if we say that the passage of time is indicated by a change of generations. What is the continuity of generations, if not a kind of shoot (sprout) of a race? And when the cupbearer of the king of Egypt had a dream where three shoots grew, Joseph, who was endowed with the gift of explaining dreams, declares that the three shoots mean three days (Gen. 40:10-12) 3638. If, therefore, the time of three days is expressed by three shoots, why also cannot four generations mean four seasons, i.e. cycle of time? The Holy Church, therefore, sees her sons when she sees the offspring of believers. She sees the sons of her sons when she sees that the sons have given birth to the same faithful ones in the faith. And she also dies old, full of days, because in the light that follows as a reward for her daily deeds, overcoming temptation, she is changed into incorruption for the heavenly country. She dies full of life, since her days did not pass by, and created a strong foundation for reward for her righteous deeds. She dies full of days, because in this transitional state she earned the eternal. Therefore, the Apostle also said: Do not strive for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life (John 6:27). The Holy Church, therefore, does not lose her days, even when she leaves temporary life. Because she finds her light abundantly multiplied in her chosen ones, and all the more carefully and with anxiety she now protects herself in them from all temptations. The Church does not waste her days because she does not neglect to consider herself warily every day in this life, and does not burden herself with any laziness in all the things that she is able to accomplish. Therefore, what Solomon said about her is true: She considers the order of her house and does not eat her bread in idleness (Prov. 31:27) 3639. She meditates on the arrangement of her house, because it certainly tests all the thoughts of her conscience. She does not eat her bread in idleness, for what she has learned in her understanding of the Holy Scriptures, she puts before the eyes of the judge, demonstrating in her actions. But she, as it is said, “will die,” because when the contemplation of eternity absorbs her, it will make her completely dead and insensitive to the vicissitudes of variability, so that anyone who lives in her will not be hindered in the sharpness of her inner vision. She then sees inner things more accurately, the more dead she is to the surrounding corruptible world. Let us consider that this death in the fullness of days happened to the blessed Job, who is actually one of the members of the Church; and let us hope that this will happen for the whole Church in its fullness; in order for the truth of history to be maintained, the prophecy of what will take place cannot be invalid. For the desired good deeds, which we learn from the lives of the saints, are nothing in themselves, and if they do not contain the Sacraments, they have very little meaning. Let the life of the good man as described by the Holy Spirit shine upon us in its spiritual meaning, and yet let the spiritual explanation not allow us to depart from the belief in the real history. This is necessary so that the mind can more firmly fix its understanding, and the more hope it can connect with the future, and more faith with the past, when we stand halfway between them. 49. Since this work is completed, I see that I must return to myself. For our mind, even when it strives to say something right, a lot is added from ourselves. For when we think about how our words are spoken, we draw a pattern of words out of ourselves. Therefore I must return from the external utterance of words to my heart to call together the thoughts and the heart's view for some kind of advice, and study everything again so that I can see there whether I have carelessly said the wrong things, or said the right things but in the wrong words. The right thing is rightly said only if the one who speaks strives, by what he says, to please Him Alone, from Whom he received it. And while I don't think everything I said is wrong, I can't say that I didn't say anything wrong at all. But if I said any good things, it is a gift from above, and I confess that it is truly my fault if I said something not good enough. Returning to myself, and putting aside the leaves of words and the branches of sentences, when I look closely at the very root of my intention, I think that I wanted to please God with this. But the desire for human praise, in some secret way, still mixes itself with this goal with which I began - to please God. And when I look at it slowly, in the end I see that those things that I started one way, I do differently. The desire for human praise secretly attaches itself, and meeting it, as if on the way, often distorts our intention or work, which was really begun in the eyes of God. Just as food is first taken truly out of necessity, but when gluttony creeps in furtively, as it currently does, the pleasure of eating is confused with necessity. Therefore, it often happens that we finish bodily ablutions for the sake of pleasure, which we begin for the sake of health. It must be admitted, therefore, that the wrong intention, which seeks human praise with the help of the gifts of God, sometimes insidiously accompanies our right intention, which seeks to please God. But if we are strictly tested at these points by God, then what safe place remains for us when all our evil is visible, and those things that we possess and consider good cannot in any way be considered good by Him? But I believe it is worth all my time to reveal without hesitation to the ears of all my brothers what I secretly accuse myself of. For since in my work I did not hide what I thought, in my confession I will not hide what I suffer from. In my work I have laid out the gifts I have received, and in my confession I have revealed my wounds. There are many beginning children in this world who can be taught by my words, and many great ones who can sympathize with me in my grief, which I have revealed to them. In both cases, I help, as much as I can, one of my brothers, and trust in the second. One I told in my work what to do; to others I showed my confession of weakness. Some, I hope, will find healing in my words; I do not hide the torment of my wounds from others. I pray, therefore, that everyone who reads these books will pray a consoling prayer for me before the stern Judge, and will wash away with his tears every filth that he discovers in me. But comparing the help from prayer and the help from my work, my reader, of course, surpasses me in his reward, if, reading my words, he gives me his tears for me in return. I know that You can do everything, and that Your intention cannot be stopped. Who is this one who darkens Providence, not understanding anything? So, I spoke about things that I did not understand, about things that were wonderful to me, which I did not know. I decided to tell the Lord, I, dust and ashes. oh Lord! I am not a man of speech, and I was like that both yesterday and the day before, and when You began to speak to Your servant: I speak hard and am tongue-tied. And I said: Woe is me! I'm dead! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people also of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. oh, Lord God! I don’t know how to speak, because I’m still young. And a voice came from the vault that was over their heads; when they stopped, then they lowered their wings. Listen, I cried, and I will speak, and what I will ask You, explain to me. I cry to You, for You will hear me, O God; incline Your ear to me, hear my words.? I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; now my eyes see You. therefore I renounce and repent in dust and ashes. Sackcloth – Heb. sak. Sackcloth (hair shirt): This was the name of Jewish mourning clothing, made of dark, coarse hair and therefore very stiff. woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the powers that were demonstrated in you had been demonstrated in Tire and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. And it came to pass after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said unto Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath burneth against thee and against thy two friends, because ye have not spoken of Me so truly as My servant Job. Because this is the last book of this work, and since the most difficult passages have already been passed, it is good to go through those that are less difficult with less attention and care. For, as if we had passed the mighty ocean, having already seen the shores and lowered the sails of our intention, with less strength than before, we still keep our way on the crest of the last wave of the storm. The storm of our knowledge has, so to speak, died down, but its force, now controlled, still carries us to our stop on the shore. After the Lord had revealed to His faithful servant how strong and cunning Leviathan His enemy was, and after He had carefully revealed his strength and skill, blessed Job answered this, saying... Lord! guide me in Your righteousness. Therefore take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job and offer a sacrifice for yourself; and My servant Job will pray for you, for I will only accept his face, so as not to reject you because you have not spoken as truly about Me as My servant Job. One must eat it in one house, (do not leave it until the morning), do not take the meat out of the house and do not crush its bones. Do not give holy things to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces. I couldn't find the corresponding quote. And the Lord said: This is my place; stand on this rock. and when I remove My hand, you will see Me from behind. on this rock I will build My Church. Tame the beast in the reeds, the herd of oxen among the bulls of the nations boasting of ingots of silver; scatter the nations who desire war. And all her splendor departed from the daughter of Zion; her princes are like deer that cannot find pasture; Exhausted, they went ahead of the driver. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on it He rested from all His works, which God had created and created. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; For six days you shall work and do all your work, and the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: on it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your maidservant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your livestock, nor the stranger who is within your gates; For in six days the Lord created heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them, and rested on the seventh day; Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it. and sanctify the fiftieth year and proclaim freedom on earth to all its inhabitants: let this be your jubilee; and return every one to his possession, and every one return to his tribe. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas, who is called the Twin, and Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples. Seven times a day I glorify You for the judgments of Your righteousness. His praise is continually in my mouth. Give us part seven or even eight, because you don’t know what kind of trouble will happen on earth. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lamps, is this: the seven stars are the Angels of the seven churches; and the seven lampstands which you saw are seven churches. And he stood up and walked back and forth in the upper room; then he rose again and prostrated himself on him. And the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And that the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice, this means that this is truly the word of God. And Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shebhaite, and Zophar the Naamite went and did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord took the face of Job. And the Lord restored Job’s loss when he prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you. And when you stand in prayer, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Heavenly Father may forgive you your sins. and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. When my sorrows multiply in my heart, Your consolations delight my soul. Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all his former acquaintances came to him, and ate bread with him in his house, and grieved with him. and they each gave him a kesita and a gold ring. For I do not want to leave you, brethren, ignorant of this mystery, so that you do not dream about yourself, that the hardening has happened in Israel in part, until the time when the full number of the Gentiles comes in; and so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come from Zion, and will turn away wickedness from Jacob. Jesus answered and said to them, “It is true that Elijah must come first and arrange everything.” For disgrace you will receive double; for the reproach they will rejoice in their lot, because they will receive double in their land; They will have eternal joy. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea.” And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and commanded him and said: Do not take yourself a wife from the daughters of Canaan; Thou hast prepared a table before me in the sight of my enemies; anointed my head with oil; my cup is overflowing. He stood and shook the earth; He looked up and made the nations tremble; the age-old mountains fell apart, the primeval hills fell; His ways are eternal. And Samuel answered: Are burnt offerings and sacrifices as pleasing to the Lord as obedience to the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to obey than the fat of rams; for disobedience is the same sin as witchcraft, and resistance is the same as idolatry; because you rejected the word of the Lord, and He rejected you so that you would not be king (over Israel). Whatever the Father gives Me will come to Me; and him who comes to Me I will not cast out, for I came down from heaven not to do My will, but the will of the Father who sent Me. I cannot create anything on my own. As I hear, I judge, and My judgment is righteous; For I do not seek My will, but the will of the Father who sent Me. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou shalt eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest of it thou shalt die. Then, fourteen years later, I again went to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me. 2 He walked by revelation... And the daughter of Tyre with gifts, and the richest of the people, will pray before Your face. And God blessed Job’s last days more than his former ones. Even in old age they are fertile, juicy and fresh to proclaim. he had fourteen thousand flocks, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. And he had seven sons and three daughters. for He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to receive it again. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Rebekah looked and saw Isaac, and she got down from the camel. And she said to the servant: Who is this man who is walking across the field towards us? The servant said: This is my master. And she took the veil and covered herself. What fruit did you have then? Such deeds of which you yourself are now ashamed, because their end is death. He immediately followed her, like an ox going to the slaughter, (and like a dog to a chain) and like a deer to a shot, For in the Law of Moses it is written: You shall not muzzle an ox that is threshing. Does God care about oxen? (1 Cor. 9:9); For the Scripture says: Do not muzzle the ox that is threshing; and: the worker is worthy of his reward (1 Tim. 5:18). The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's manger; but Israel does not know (Me), My people do not understand. ...whose flesh is the flesh of a donkey, and the lust of stallions. Say to the daughter of Zion: Behold, your king comes to you, meek, sitting on a donkey and the colt of a donkey. Blessed are you who sow by all the waters and send there the ox and the donkey. After this, the Lord also chose seventy other disciples, and sent them two by two before Him to every city and place where He Himself wanted to go. Denarius (obsolete "denarius", Latin dēnārius "consisting of ten", from Latin dēnī "in tens", from Latin decem "10" (1)) is the name of the Roman silver coin of the Republic (first minted in 268 BC) and the first two centuries of the Empire. (approx.) and, having agreed with the workers for a denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard. love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. The Seven Virtues are a set of main positive traits of human character in Western Christianity. The seven virtues are divided into cardinal and theological. The four cardinal virtues (courage, moderation, justice, prudence) are, in fact, the cardinal virtues of ancient ethics, first identified by Aeschylus and then included in the late ancient tradition through Plato, Aristotle and the Stoics. St. Augustine, having reproduced this scheme, added to it three “theological” virtues, the teaching of which was developed by Eastern Christian authors: faith, hope, love. List of virtues of early Christianity: Prudence (Latin: Prudentia), Courage (Latin: Fortitudo), Justice (Latin: Justitia), Temperance (Latin: Temperantia), Faith (Latin: Fides), Hope (Latin: Spes), Love (Latin: Caritas) Later, another list of virtues appeared, compiled from the opposites of the seven deadly sins: Chastity (Latin Castitas), Temperance (Latin Temperantia), Love (Latin Caritas), Diligence (Latin Industria), Patience (Latin Patientia), Meekness (Latin Humanitas), Humility (Latin Humilitas) He always remembers His covenant, the word (which) He commanded for a thousand generations. And he called the name of the first Emima, the name of the second Cassia, and the name of the third Kerengappuh. Translated from Latin – Dies – day. Translated from Latin, CASIA means cinnamon. Incense was made from the dried bark of the cinnamon tree. For we are Christ's aroma to God... While the king was at his table, my spikenard gave off its incense. All Your garments are like myrrh and scarlet and casia; from the palaces of ivory they rejoice Thee. In Latin, Cornustibii consists of two words "horn" and "pipe". Sing a new song to the Lord. And there were no such beautiful women in all the earth as Job’s daughters, and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. And the King will desire your beauty; ... ... and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. After this Job lived a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons and his sons' sons to the fourth generation; and Job died in old age, full of days. Laodicea is a city in Asia Minor; he was in the region of Phrygia, on the border of Lydia and Phrygia (approx. lane) When this message is read to you, then arrange for it to be read in the Laodicean church; and the one from Laodicea, read it too. The Epistle to the Laodiceans is a hypothetical text whose existence is known from the canonical Epistle to the Colossians, written by the Apostle Paul. According to the Muratori canon, among the books used by Marcion was the letter to the Laodiceans, which was then (along with the letter to the Alexandrians) rejected. Among the texts purporting to be the epistle to the Laodiceans, the best known is a short text included in some Vulgate codices. This work does not contain ideas that are absent from the letters of the Apostle Paul, so the presence or absence of the text in the canon has no dogmatic significance. Jerome of Stridon wrote in the 4th century that this text is rejected by everyone (3). Nevertheless, several dozen copies of the Vulgate are known from the 6th to the 12th centuries, where this message is present: F (Codex Fuldensis), M, Q, B, D, C and Lambda. The message is contained in John Wycliffe's translation. The text was finally rejected only at the Council of Florence in the 15th century. (approx. per.) there are three branches on the vine; it developed, color appeared on it, berries grew and ripened on it; and Pharaoh's cup is in my hand; I took the berries, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. And Joseph said to him: This is its interpretation: three branches are three days. She oversees the management of her house and does not eat the bread of idleness.